Category Archives: Teaching young learners

My new favourite picture books for EFL young learners

Posted on 30/07/2025 by alexcase

A list and descriptions of some books I’ve recently found have really worked with two to twelve year olds, mostly titles I didn’t know when I made my original list of The Best Picture Books for EFL Young Learners and … Continue reading →

Posted in Materials, pre-school/ kindergarten/ very young learners, Teaching young learners | Comments Off on My new favourite picture books for EFL young learners

Three nice new this/ that/ these/ those activities

Posted on 21/09/2022 by alexcase

There are so many possible fun presentation and practice activities for “This is/ That is/ These are/ Those are…” that you have to be careful not to spend more time on this minor grammar point than it deserves… However, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Grammar games, Teaching young learners | 1 Comment

Mix and match (TEFLtastic Classics Part 43)

Posted on 13/09/2020 by alexcase

This has been by far the most popular activity in my young learner classes recently. I’ve often used the classic picture book (Do You Like) Ketchup on Your Cornflakes?, in which the top and bottom halves of the page are … Continue reading →

Posted in pre-school/ kindergarten/ very young learners, Teaching young learners, Using storybooks | Tagged | Comments Off on Mix and match (TEFLtastic Classics Part 43)

The simple but effective marking scheme I use in all young learner classes

Posted on 06/08/2014 by alexcase

It might well be a sign that I’m “doing a Tony Benn” (= actually becoming more left wing as I get older), but I increasingly avoid the competitive giving of points in YL classes, and absolutely refuse to get dragged … Continue reading →

Posted in HLT magazine, Teaching young learners | Comments Off on The simple but effective marking scheme I use in all young learner classes

Using blocks/ stacking games blocks to practise language

Posted on 28/07/2014 by alexcase

I forgot to say this in the article I just published on the topic, but this is one of my favourite games in one-to-one young learner classes, because I’m often genuinely worse than the students at stacking blocks, plastic cups … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching young learners, TEFL games | Comments Off on Using blocks/ stacking games blocks to practise language

Vietnam bans teaching of English in regular pre-school classes

Posted on 07/03/2014 by alexcase

Actually, it’s all foreign languages, but I’d already made the title of this post too long trying to avoid the inaccurate title of the original piece: Ban on teaching English to pre-school children raises controversy Actually the policy seems quite sensible … Continue reading →

Posted in pre-school/ kindergarten/ very young learners, Teaching English in Vietnam | Tagged | 1 Comment

Thinking again about running around games

Posted on 26/07/2013 by alexcase

I’ve probably been more guilty than anyone of spreading the idea that students can both run around screaming and learn effectively, but I’ve recently decided it’s almost impossible to combine the two. I feel especially bad if anyone copied my idea of … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching young learners | Comments Off on Thinking again about running around games

Review of new course Super Minds – the unedited ranty version

Posted on 08/07/2013 by alexcase

If you want to more carefully thought through and edited version, you’ll have to read the July edition of Modern English Teacher magazine. I think this more direct response to the materials also has its merits though…  This is mainly … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching young learners | 6 Comments

The main reason why I don’t like teaching kids

Posted on 24/06/2013 by alexcase

One major reason is that I have a constant feeling that I should know more about what I’m doing. My employers and people like MET and Macmillan who’ve published my ideas on teaching young learners seem perfectly happy with my … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching young learners | 6 Comments

Activities for this/ that/ these/ those

Posted on 13/05/2013 by alexcase

Updated 14 May 2018 All these links now also on the index page on this topic here. Related pages Plural nouns page It is/ They are page Articles on teaching this/ that/ these/ those How to teach this/ that/ these/ … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching young learners | Comments Off on Activities for this/ that/ these/ those